Hi,I know the majority of people posting on here are graduates or are working in consultancy but I decided to post here for some advice. I'm currently in year 13, predicted AAAcc and have applied to university (2010) to the following:Manchester University - International Business, Finance and EconomicsAston University - International Business and EconomicsNottingham University - Industrial EconomicsLeicester - Business EconomicsSo far I've got an offer from Manchester Business School. I was just wondering whether the above courses/unis are 'target' unis for consulting - now I'm not talking about MBB but firms including Accenture, Diamond, IBM, etc.I know there's more to an application other than the Uni/course but I'd just like to know which would be more suitable/beneficial.Thanks,J

Manchester - yesAston, Nottingham - sometimesLeicester - no, although that doesn't preclude you from applyingIn the UK consultancies target by department/school, so it doesn't particularly matter which course within that department/school you take.

Interesting.I've heard good thinks about Nottingham and IB/Consulting however that's for Economics for which they're rated highly (top 10). Industrial Economics is actually based in their Business School rather than their Economics department..

I studied industrial economics at Nottingham and happy to discuss that course with you. I currently work for a big-4 firm in consulting. The course was brilliant and very customisable in terms of options. Some people went for easy modules, although I personally went for the harder ones and got a lot out of it (I turned it into a "mini-MBA" with same range of subjects).

Hey,The course does look pretty good, can I ask which A-level you did and what your degree classifcation is?

Also which year you graduated in :D

Quite a few consultancies (not MBB though) come to Aston on their milkround.

I graduated a few years ago with a first class honours. Studied Maths, Physics, French and Computing and obtained AAAA at A2. Two people in my course year at Notts joined consulting at the same time in the big-4 firm where I work.I recommend looking at the summer vacation schemes that companies run in the summer in the penultimate year of your degree. To get on them you ideally can show you are on track for a 2.1 from first year grades (it means working in your first year!) and something extra, e.g. society involvement, volunteering etc.

I graduated from manc with a first in International Business, Finance and Economics. Its a good course, but has a reputation for being a hard degree-around 80 (hard finance) credits are compulsory. In terms of consultancy, lots of my friends entered this field with this degree. The best advice I can give you, though, would be to get an internship in the first year summer..thats something I really regret. Manc career service are pants though..so don't expect much from them in the way of advice.If you have any questions regarding the course, I am happy to answer them.

MBS is a good business school with a solid reputation. And don't be put off by the other poster who graduated from Manchester - I interned in IB and now work for a big 4 in consulting and thought the careers service (having used it a lot) at the uni was fine. Some people obviously expect their a*se to be wiped and have a job handed to them on a plate these days.

Tell us more about that "cc" bit....

Wow, fidning alot of people on the same exact courses as above xDAlso recent Manc graduate: Did you do the IBFE course? How long did it take for you to find a job? What degree classification did you end up with?I thought internships were only for 2nd years?

Most summer vacation scheme / internships are for penultimate years. Some companies are doing taster work experiences in first year. The demand is really high compared to number of places so you need to have good first year academics and something to differentiate yourself. I personally found one of the big-4 internships really useful and got offered my job at the end of it so worth the effort.

In response to your questions:- I did not take the IBFE course- I applied in my final year, deferred entry, went travelling and started the following year. All in all around 2 months.- 2.1- As per what ex-notts said. Occasionally some places will let you do an internship if you are in your final year but that's the exception rather than the norm from personal experience.

Can possibly save you a bit of time by recommending you deselect Accenture. Looks like you are focussing in on management consulting. Accenture is primarily a systems integrator.Also, your degree choice does not matter with Accenture.NB this is not an Accenture flame, I work for the firm, just I have seen so many people in my start group leave, after studying such things and expecting ACN to be a strategy consulting organisation.Just to perhaps align your expectations.

Just read that you are actually focussing on the likes of Accenture, IBM etc....So, either understand what these firms do and then:1) realise your degree choice does not make much difference, preferably have an interest in technology2) choose different organisations to target based on your interests profile

I second the above. Spot on from my observations... The only thing I would add is that the skills I learnt and exposure to elements in financial services from my course has been useful. So while the course subject didn't really matter per se in terms of my application it has been genuinely useful in the 'real world'.

The Aston course includes a year in industry whereby I will spend my 3rd year on a year-long placement before returning to Aston to finish the final year. Would this be of much benefit as the Big4 and many other firms do industrial placement years?

Some people who I know who took industrial years out found them useful and others found it very hard to get back into academia for a year before returning to work. Given that for some degrees your final year can represent 70% or more of your final degree you need to think about how easily you would be able to switch back into academic focus and if that is important to you. A plus is you'll earn a little bit of cash during your placement so it can help funding uni cash flow.Oh another thing: one person I know who took an industrial placement had almost no support in finding it from the uni and found it very hard to secure one on their own. You won't be guaranteed to get one at the big 4 due to very limited spaces and high numbers of applicants, so factor that into your decision.

One more thing.. it goes without saying that you should factor into your decision whether the university works for you. I know some friends who dropped out after a year and either went to the same uni and took a different course or took the same course at a different uni. Every uni has a different vibe even with a similar course. You will be spending 3-4 years there so give it some serious thought. I am sure you are already, its just some people I saw at uni really didn't think that one through enough!Example: Manc being a city uni has a different feel from Nottingham which is campus based but close to the city. Nottingham's Business School has a slightly different feel even from the other campuses.. so make sure you visit a few times to gauge where you feel best so you will make the most of your time there.

:D Just got an offer for Nottingham. Will visit the Unis in the next few months.

Going to university can be a confusing time.They say you should try anything once.It is a very liberal place.I remember my very first lecture vividly. It was by the Transvestite Society.They told us that, as transvestites, there is lots of support available and how we could get it.We were also lectured on how to manage our finances and how to use the lanudry room.They told us pretty much everything. Oh, except who my tutor was and what lectures I would need to go to. I had to scramble around in various places the other side of town in order to cobble together that information, mostly via hearsay. We were also told about the great social life and how much alcohol there was at every party. We were told to make sure we practice safe s3x (pesky filter is blocking that word) and to "look out for our mates" when they are sky high on drugs.I thought, what the heck?But that's just the kind of place it is.Basically, a waste of time. But sadly something you have to go through in order to get a degree and a decent job. Shocking really. I suppose it's the government's way of keeping the unemployment figures down. The government whose track record on almost everything speaks for itself.

Just the erm 'helpful' kind of post we expect on this forum..

Looks like this place has come under siege by the redbricks!Next thing we know, we'll be getting lectured by Sheffield Hallam undergrads as to why their first in "Modern International Business with Dance" makes them "ideally suited to strategy in MBBB".But yeah, OK - point taken. That wasn't particularly helpful of me. But I do think it helps if people think "outside the system" if you get what I mean - i.e. don't believe all the guff you're told and read before going to university. 99% of it is pure bull.

A couple of points from the above:- I can concur with what ex-notts is saying regarding industrial placements. I did one of these (as well as a summer internship) and whilst the summer placement was great, the IP was hell on earth. Some loved it though meaning they questioned the merit of going back to uni. Personally though I would choose uni life over the real-world any day and so had no trouble getting back into study. The money I earnt also meant I had no financial worries going into my final year, which was a massive bonus.- Uni life is great. Granted, probably a massive waste of time as stated earlier but I had some of the best years of my life there and would (if I could hack going out every night) do it again at the drop of a hat. I would highly recommend visiting campuses you get offers from - Manchester is a great city but can be massively overwhelming for those not used to that type of atmosphere. Similarly, I hated Nottingham for entirely the opposite reason i.e. the cosy campus feeling.- First and foremost, choose a course and university (both within reason) that you think you'll enjoy, not that you think will give you the best job prospects. I remember fellow applicants (the Oxbridge, LSE, UCL types) looking down at me when I interviewed at IB's with them, but when it came to group exercises it was patently obvious who were the independent types who could think on their feet and hadn't been spoon fed for the past 2 years. I'm not saying that is a sweeping generalisation of candidates from the above universities, but what I am saying is that if you're good enough to get in somewhere, then you will.

You definitely don't get spoon fed at Oxbridge, LSE, etc.

With regard to the choice of which uni, take a more detailed look at the modules you will study in each course. Have you taken a look at the Manchester Business school website? If you choose the course you think you will prefer, your more likely to work hard and achieve a better result- not much can beat that!Following on from previous posts, visit the campuses; get a feel for life in each, and go for what you prefer. ps. (if you like manchester, fallowfield is the student village and the best place to live!)

Just got an offer for Aston's course. This is going to be really hard, as if I go to Aston I can live at home (or move out for the first year and come back for the remaning years). Is the name Nottingham/Manchester significantly more valued than Aston? Also, Aston does have the placement year ;.As an estimation, going to Notts/Manchester would cost me about 23.4k but probably less 'cause of grants etc. Aston on the other hand would cost 16.1k (if I moved on campus for the first year) but minus the salary I could recieve from the placement year and I'm left with a debt of about 5k ;. Big difference there..

In terms of the seige of the red-bricks I also went to what you consider a top-tier uni (think cambridge, oxford, LSE, UCL) so I can compare the two. If I was interviewing someone for a job I personally wouldn't pass someone over based on the uni they graduated from (within reason). As was said by a poster further up it was interesting to see how people fared at group exercises in assessment centres. I would disagree about the spoonfed comment though.Regarding living at home, two of my uni friends did this and while they saved a lot of money they regretted not gaining the independance of moving away from home and getting the full "uni experience". If you do chose to live at home definitely go into halls in your first year to build up your social network as it is much harder afterwards.

ex-notts; have you met anyone in big 4 consulting from Aston. Aston claim they get people into Big 4 but which Uni don't make exagerated claims.. example; 'Graduates from London Met regulary find placements art prestigious investment banks such as Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, etc'

ex-notts you mentioned you are working in a Big Four consultancy now.For someone who wants to go into consultancy later down the line, is it better to start off in Big Four ACA Audit or as an analyst in the Finance division of a bulge bracket investment bank?P.s. I did Industrial Econ at Notts as well!

With regards to settling back into study following a placement: a recent piece of research found that 15% of students returning from a placement achieved a first class degree, whereas only 10% of those who did not take a placement achieved a first.Furthermore, I agree that finding placements can be extremely difficult however the support at Aston is incredible; the placement office do an absolutely brilliant job and you would have a great support network to help you get a placement.I worked at a big FMCG, and have just returned to my final year where I am more motivated than ever to finish my degree with the best possible grade! Plus I've just been offered a position at a reputable consultancy for when I graduate :)

Decisions: Where are you working right now or have you yet to find a grad position? BoBo: Assuming you when to Aston Business School; which degree did you do, also do you mind giving away the name of the consultancy firm?

ProspectiveConsultant:I graduated from uni last summer (2009) and have been made two graduate job offers: One for Audit ACA in the Big Four, and one for the Finance division of a bulge bracket investment bank.Both are to start in Sept 2010 but I need to pick one over the next few weeks. I would like to keep my options open for going into consultancy later down the line. Which job would be best for maximising my options?

Any of the notts graduates want to comment on the level of crime at Nottingham? I found this article:http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/higher/crime-watch-how-secure-is-your-university-city-831847.htmlWhich rated Nottingham 'the most crime-ridden university city in the United Kingdom outside the capital'. One girl claimed that she wasn't a victim of robbery but 70% of the people she knew were ;

ProspectiveConsultant any thoughts about which offer I should take i.e. Big Four or IB Finance division considering I might like to go into consultancy later on?

'Decisions' - I'd go for IBOP - I did BCIT, but it doesn't really matter which course you do. I've got friends at Aston who had interviews with Accenture with marketing degrees, combined honours business + environmental science, etc. so it doesn't really matter which course you would do. If I were to suggest a course at Aston, it would be without a doubt Management and Strategy. It's the same common first year for all degrees, but second and final year, MAS provides the opportunity to choose all of the specific modules you wish to study. This is especially beneficial as it allows you to choose modules which are the greatest interest and where you can perform best (e.g. choose a coursework modules over exams or vice versa)

Decisions: I'm still doing my A-Levels so I don't think I'm the best person to advice you on that. Sorry.

Update: I have offers from all my Universities now. Thanks for the advice, will visit the Unis and cities and make my mind up.

Good to hear you have offers. I'd be interested what you make of Aston :-) and what impression they are making on potential undergrads.

I've visited Aston before and I really did like it. I can tell there would be no snobbery and the atmosphere was just good in general. Nottingham on the other hand - heard it was 'rah centeral'. Aston's repuation in business is mixed but is doing very well in rankings, 15th for economics and 11th for business (times ranking). Can't wait to visit them all in Feb/March though.

Hey guys,Sorry been away for a few days. OK so replies:ProspectiveConsultant: Haven't met anyone from Aston but that's not to say none of them are from Aston. It's just after a while you stop people asking where they studied etc Level of crime is high but then you need to factor in:- Students going out with too much cash. Only take out what you need- Being in a dodgy part of the city on your own totally drunk- Student houses not properly secured, leaving doors or windows open - how some friends got burgled- The main part of the city is small and some parts you are more likely to get mugged are relatively close to parts of the student area so before you move out get to know the area well- I never got mugged or anything but friends did and generally it was for some of the reasons aboveGenerally I never felt more nervous about going out than I would in London, Birmingham, Newcastle, Manchester etcWell done on getting all the offersI didnt notice much snobbery on the business school. People were generally down to earth. Found it more apparent on main campus courses but it was fine and didn't really bother me. I found it much more down to earth than one of the other top unis I also studied at.Decisions:I'd take IB and come in as an experienced hire to consulting with financial services experience later on. Try to get as much exposure across the business as you can and build up your network. You want to understand their processes (even outside your area of working if possible), systems and motivations at the time you're looking to move out to consulting i.e. growth, cost reduction bla bla so you can provide an insight to that consultancy's account team.Good luck!